


The Best Is Yet to Come

by LunaDae



Series: Life is like a River [3]
Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: Aftercare, Consensual But Not Safe Or Sane, Consensual Non-Consent, Dom/sub Play, F/M, Forced, Hurt/Comfort, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, My own post-Path Of Glory ending, Nomad V (Cyberpunk 2077), Not Canon Compliant, Overpowered, Porn with Feelings, Quickies, Rough Sex, Smut, Some Plot, Swearing, Weird Plot Shit, fucked against a wall
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:06:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29519211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaDae/pseuds/LunaDae
Summary: Post-ending fix-it, non-canon compliant based mostly on Path of Glory with the Secret ending. In my AU universe, V and River had been together for about a year and are working hard to build the future they deserve. River proposed in Part 2. River has a successful PI agency and V owns Afterlife. She's the Fixer Queen now, took over from Rogue. They moved into a house on a hill in the desert which River inherited (part 2) and plan on rebuilding Rocky Ridge – It will henceforth be known as Ward Hill.Johnny survived, as a real person with a real body; he's currently someplace exotic with Rogue, making up for lost time. .There'll be plenty of smut. DARK SMUT. And mushy feelings.Ch 1: €$2.5 million and a quickie. LolCh 2: Check tags: Consensual Non-Consent, Forced play.Ch 3: Part 2 of Check The Tags First, Please... It's rough...Ch 4: Morning sex, then an intruder shows upCh 5: Intruder revealed and Delamain likes Aladdin. lol
Relationships: V/River Ward
Series: Life is like a River [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095695
Comments: 29
Kudos: 46





	1. The past won't keep us hostage

**Author's Note:**

> Working titles for both the series and chapter, I couldn't think of anything else. Haha. I mention (minor) parts of the Secret Ending/Path of Glory Ending. Will add tags and CW's chapter-by-chapter, when necessary. 
> 
> In my AU Non-Canon Universe, V and River had been together for about a year, he proposed in Part 2. Johnny survived, as a real person with a real body (I still need to figure out how that happened) but everyone's favourite rocker boy is currently someplace exotic with Rogue, making up for lost time. They'll join our love-sick heroes at some point. 
> 
> River has a successful PI agency and V owns Afterlife. She's a fixer now, took over from Rogue. 
> 
> They're planning to move into a house on a hill which River inherited (in Part 2) and decided to rebuild Rocky Ridge.
> 
> The rebuilding of Rocky Ridge may or may not be part of the main story, I don't have a finished draft and I'm just making this up as I go. I'm getting the hang of fanfic and smut writing but I'm still terrible when it comes to plot and dialogue. LOL

It had been a week since they spent the night under the stars in Rocky Ridge. V had been playing around with ideas of how to revive the ghost town, and so far most of their friends and family had come on board in one way or another. 

Joss worked in Rancho Coronado, and she was up for moving out there, it wasn't too far from her work. Dakota was down with anything V planned, just happy that the area would finally be cleared out properly and safe. 

V also miraculously convinced Judy to stay; she had been determined to leave Night City and settle with her grandparents in Oregon. Judy wanted to get away from Night City itself, and renovating Rocky Ridge meant she could do just that, without actually leaving.

V had a few more contacts she wanted to brainstorm with. 

River, for his part, lined up several new PI clients, but still somehow found time during the week to work on their new home, too. The fence was the first to go down, and in its place River installed a state-of-the-art barrier. 

Well, technically, River was just the muscle, it would be down to V or Randy to activate the security system. He would probably short circuit himself and everything in the vicinity if he tried. 

River was content to focus on the handyman jobs; it gave him something to do when work or V wasn’t around to keep his demons at bay. John was getting too old to maintain the property so there was always something to tinker at. 

Debris and rusted vehicles were piled up at the back of the house, and the structure itself needed work. Some of the beams and walls had to be reinforced. Both the exterior and interior could do with a coat of paint as well. 

The only problem? Renovations weren’t cheap and it was already costing a pretty penny just to get their new home livable. But River figured there was no rush, although the lack of funds was dampening his enthusiasm just a bit. 

It was early morning and V was sitting in the lounge of their home in the trailer park, sipping a hot mug of coffee and enjoying the warmth of the sun through the window. Dressed in one of River’s oversized T’s and a pair of panties. It was too hot for anything else. 

River was working on a new PI case. Murdered wife and all the evidence pointed to the husband, who claimed to be innocent. It was a tricky one. 

"Babe”, he called from his office, “would you be able to look at the fence today?" The Raffen Shiv hadn't returned to the area but he didn't want to take any chances either way. 

"Sure, Riv, later this afternoon okay? I've got a few contracts to finalize at Afterlife first”. 

"Preem, I should be done by then as well, we can go together. I need to take a few measurements while I'm there”. 

"Sounds like a plan".

“I'm heading into NC soon, need a ride?"

“Nah no need, I have a few other errands to run as well and I want to pop by Judy’s, too. I'll arrange for Del to pick me up."

V took another sip of her coffee. Her eyes flashed blue while she made a transfer. Five seconds later River made a sound that could only be described as shrieking, followed by a curse. V nearly spat her coffee out as she tried to contain a laugh. 

"WHAT THE FUCK!" 

"You okay, babe?" she called in his general direction, mustering as innocent a tone as she could. 

He appeared in the doorway, just wearing his pyjama pants. Naked torso all muscle and skin and heat. "Mind explaining to me why I just got a transfer for 2.5 million eddies?“

V casually took another sip, not breaking eye contact and looking as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "I sold the mansion in Watson yesterday".

"What? Why?" 

“For the Rocky Ridge renovations”. 

“Babe, you didn't have to do that, not for my silly dream”, he was rubbing his forehead as if trying to relieve a piercing headache. 

V unfolded herself off the couch and walked up to him, wrapped her arms low around his waist.  _ God, he was so beautiful. _

“First of all. It's not a silly dream, so jot that down…” 

“But..”, River protested. 

“No, buts, River. This is something  _ good _ . We deserve to have something good; Night City deserves something good. And second, we haven't been to the mansion in seven months, haven’t lived there in eight. We weren't happy there, remember? The city, that place and all its memories tore us apart. We can't allow the past to keep us hostage". 

“Yeah but still. I can't accept it V”. River knew she was right, though. He didn't even want to think of when he almost lost her, and the mansion was just a reminder of how close he came to that. 

“It's not yours to accept, you gonk. It's  _ yours _ . Period. It's mine. It's ours, “ V said with such conviction that River was falling in love with her all over again. “Other than it being tacky and so not our style, that place costs me in upkeep every month anyway. An’ besides, Rogue came to  _ me  _ with the offer”.

“Rogue, huh? Thought she's done with Night City?” 

“Rogue’ll never be done with NC,” V said with a chuckle. “And as much as Johnny loves to pretend he hates it here, the fucker is in love with the city too. 

“For real?”. 

“Yep, we shared a brain, 'member? He can't pull a fast lie on me if his life depended on it”.

River roared with laughter.  _ Would be interesting to see the rocker boy again, _ he mused. He’s not that fond of the man, but Johnny is important to V and River knows that’s a bond he can never compete with. They haven’t spent any time together since Johnny returned from the Blackwall. It would center V to have Johnny around, River is not going to pretend otherwise. 

‘Sides, being with V during those first few months meant Johnny was part of the package too, whether either man wanted it or not. River won’t go so far as to say he was in a relationship with a dude, but it’s pretty much what it came down to, they were all in it together.

V interrupted his thoughts. “Speaking of, they'll be back next week. Rogue’s gonna call you about a gig. Needs to track down someone, I didn't ask for details”. 

“Where would I be without you, hmm?” 

V shrugged and with that gave him a slow, deep kiss that took his breath away. “Lost, I bet”. She squeezed his ass with one hand, the other still wrapped around his neck. “Now get back to work before I cancel all my appointments and, you know…” V trailed off as she ran her finger across his jaw, down his neck and over his pecs. 

She began to pull away, still needed to get dressed before Delamain showed up, but River had her trapped in his arms. “No fair, V”, he growled and the look he gave her made her head spin, made her so damn wet for him. The same look he gave her when they came down from the water tower the first night they spent together after she pushed him against Randy’s trailer and a pair of bystanders interrupted them. 

River pushed V against the wall. “I’m not ready to let you go just yet”, he whispered and she could feel his hot breath on her ear. He slid his hand down to her body, gripping her leg and wrapping it around him while the rest of him had her pinned against the wall. V gasped. This new angle allowed her to feel how hard he was getting. 

River gave her a predatory smile and rolled his hips against her, so damn slow but with enough pressure to make V’s heart skip several beats. “You’re gonna have… fuck… you’re gonna have to be quick, Del will be here soon”. 

She struggled to form the words and used her hands instead, pushing his pyjama pants down over his sculpted hips and giving his hard cock a few strokes that made him grunt and bite his bottom lip. She lined him up to her core and he could feel the slickness of her cunt. The sensation made him slam his hand into the wall next to her. 

He pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes closed and whispered, “Yes, ma’am”. With that, he slid into her to the hilt, in one smooth motion that made V moan sinfully. River desperately needed to hear that sound again and thrust into her harder while building up a rhythm. 

V had one hand on River’s ass, trying to pull him as close to her as she could, while her other hand slid between their bodies. She pressed the pad of her palm against her clit – easy to do because River had her spread wide, one leg still around him – while positioning her index finger and middle finger on either side of his cock and squeezed. 

Her fingers added extra pressure on his cock every time he thrust into her, while her palm provided the friction she needed against her clit. V loved the way River practically lost his mind whenever she did that, and he wasn’t even trying to keep his moans from ripping through his chest. 

V is convinced it was the way he growled her name that pushed her over the edge, and he fucked her through the ecstasy without letting up, only slowing down to kiss her deeply. With his one hand still gripping her leg, he moved the other hand to her lower back and pulled her into him while picking up the pace again. 

River bucked his hips against her, thrusting deep while she edged him closer, encouraging him to cum in her, whispering in his ear how she wanted to hear him moan her name as he filled her,  _ his future wife _ . The last part tipped River over the edge, and V’s heart nearly shattered hearing him grunt “Valerie” in her ear. 

“Fuck…” River breathed hard, struggling to find his words. “Sure I can’t convince you to stay in today?”

She laughed. “Gonna have to wait 'till later, handsome. We got shit to do.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This was meant to be a short, smut-less intro chapter but they can't keep their hand off each other so here we are. haha.


	2. Flushed, Rushed and Raw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut here, from the second part of the chapter and into the next. After a busy morning at Afterlife, V heads over to the house on the hill to do renovation work. A real nasty surprise awaits. 
> 
> **Please take note of the tags and respect your triggers.** And please lemme know if I missed any tags. If Consensual Non-Consent, consent kink and forced play is not your thing, skip the last six paragraphs of this chapter (right after the part where River appreciates V’s “I got dirty shit to do” outfit) and skip Chapter 3 too. You won’t miss much, story-wise. No hard feelings if you'd prefer to wait for Chapter 4. <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It shouldn’t have to be said but I’m going to say it anyway: **CONSENT IS SO FUCKING IMPORTANT**. You don’t just grab someone and have your way with them unless you have explicit permission/a consensual non-consent agreement, i.e, two consenting adults agreeing on the terms of their sex life beforehand and having a safeword for when they’re not up for any make-believe non-consent shenanigans. 
> 
> Also, I'm having the hardest time coming up with Chapter titles, lmao.

“You’re late”, Delamain said when V finally clambered into the AV, flushed, rushed and pulling on her jacket. Her hair was a mess too. “Let me guess, River’s fault again? You look frightfully flushed.”

“My, aren’t you cocky for an AI,” V replied dryly, before continuing on a lighter note. “You good, Del?” 

“I always am. Where shall we fly today?”

“Kabuki, Afterlife. Thanks, Del”. 

“As you wish. I’ve chosen the optimal route. Relax and enjoy the views, V”. 

V called Emmerick on the holo to check if her first appointment was at the club already. She was. Fresh to the merc life, Lana needed all the help she could get, but she had what it took to become the next big thing. 

V had met Lana a few months prior in a junkyard when she stumbled upon her first set of wheels, the nomad-rigged Thornton Galena she was forced to abandon before coming to Night City. V was just about to reclaim her wheels when Lana showed up, a toolbox in one hand and a salvaged battery in the other.

The two argued over who the vehicle rightfully belonged to, but Lana’s determination to change the course of her life – and her desperation for a set of wheels – was enough for V to part with the Galena for good. She had several vehicles anyway, Lana had nothing except for the resoluteness to start fresh. 

And if she could help her now to settle in Night City and set her up with a gig here or there, why the hell not? She saw some of herself in Lana, and besides, she liked the girl. V was already playing matchmaker in her mind. 

“V, we are here. Should I pick you up later?”

“Please Del, I should be done in four hours. And could you arrange to transport furniture and a few boxes from my place in Watson to a storage facility?”

“Of course. I am forced to carry your burdens, after all.” Del’s words made V’s brow furrow but he continued with a monotonous “Ha ha ha ha ha. New humour upgrade, did I, how do you say, nail it?”

“Way too cocky this early in the day”, V laughed.

She flicked the details to Del before getting out of the AV and jumping onto the roof the Afterlife. V got Judy on the holo while waiting for the elevator to take her down. Judy had agreed to help her clear out the penthouse, and if she could meet V here later, it would be one less thing to worry about today.

V told Emmerick to sent Lana through to the booth at the back. She had just the gig for her, an easy Thievery mission that paid well. Lana would need to steal a datapad from a lone corpo hiding out in Kabuki. Stealth mission, easy in and easy out. 

V had already familiarized herself with the corpo’s comings and goings, thanks to a trusted source, so Lana should be able to sneak in unnoticed. That said, she only needed the datapad and didn’t really care what Lana did with the corpo, if it came to that. He was a piece of shit anyway. 

Her first meeting with the new merc went surprisingly well. They chatted about the nomad life and V's first days in the city. V also learned that Lana was looking for a place to stay. She had already decided to rent her the apartment in Megabuilding H10, but will keep that surprise until after the job was complete. 

The rest of V’s morning flew by. Being the Fixer Queen of Night City turned out to be either easier than she thought, or she just had a natural flair for it. She'd never tell anybody that, though. Keep the mystery, the legend and reverence alive, like Rogue had done. Before she knew it, Emmerick knocked on the door of her booth, informing her that Judy was waiting by the bar. 

After a drink with Judy to catch up, the two headed to the penthouse to clear it out. Most of her and River’s stuff had already been moved months ago. V packed the last of her collector's weapons in a box, along with some other junk, and old cyberdeck and mods. She couldn’t wait to install an armory at the new house.

The only furniture left was the bed, a couch and a desk, easy enough to carry with her titanium bones. They eventually had everything packed up in Del's transporter. It felt good to close this chapter, she hated this place. It was now ready and clean for whenever Rogue wanted to move in. 

River sent her a text to say he was running late and that he’d meet her and Judy at the hill if they wanted to head out in the meantime. He was having a hell of a time tracking down some of Rocky Ridge’s investors and had only managed to get the paperwork in order for three buildings. Couldn’t really start rebuilding the place if it didn’t belong to them yet.

She sent him a photo of the penthouse before directing Del to Rocky Ridge. 

* * *

V was busy replacing the glazing compound for the windows in the lounge when River showed up an hour later. He had just passed Judy on the way in, she was headed to Rancho Coronado to get takeout for them, and supplies. There was still a shit ton of work to be done. 

River leaned against the doorway and heard V curse under her breath while scraping the old clay out from the window frames. The putty usually lasts for decades, and that was probably when these windows were fitted because the compound was cracked and crumbling and she was not happy about it. 

Watching her brought a smile to his face. He would never, in this life or any other, tell her she's cute when she’s frustrated, but she was. And ‘sides, she was so caught up in her task that she hadn’t noticed River. He used the opportunity to appreciate the view. 

River was mesmerized by the way she moved, the concentration as she applied the compound and spread it evenly. When she wasn’t swearing at the window panes, she was singing to herself. He didn’t recognize the song but _damn_ , if it wasn’t the hottest thing he’d ever seen. 

V was wearing her favorite “I got dirty shit to do and don’t want clothes to get in the way” outfit, the same outfit she wore when she was working on her cars and bikes, or doing the occasional odd DIY job around the house.

River also recalls fondly the times he’d find her in her weapon’s room back at her old place, wearing this very same outfit – a pair of faded black _short_ shorts and a ripped grey t-shirt which she knotted right under her boobs.

Legs and shoulders and back and midriff exposed. She was always barefoot too, and a stray oil streak or grease smudge here and there didn’t hurt the image either. There was something about this smoking hot woman cleaning a gun that totally unravelled River. 

He had plenty of work to do around here and Judy would be back at any second, but _fuck_ , seeing V like this and thinking of all the times he had pushed her up against a wall or bent her over a bike or a car to ravish her wasn’t doing him any favors at this particular moment. 

V, still blissfully unaware of River’s gaze, had finished with the window frames and was now inspecting the wall, looking between the peeling plaster and a selection of paint cans in the corner of the room. Probably trying to decide if it was worth it to start such a laborious task this late in the day, especially considering all the prep work it required. 

She was caught off guard when a pair of strong hands grabbed her from behind and shoved her unceremoniously against the wall face first, so hard it knocked the breath out of her lungs. There was nothing soft or loving or sweet about River at this moment. His fingers, both ‘ganic and metal, dug into her flesh so hard it hurt. 

He positioned his forearm against the back of her neck to hold her in place. She was just a few centimetres shorter than him and holding her against the wall like this was easy enough. Their bodies lined up perfectly, like a puzzle. The rest of his muscular frame pushed up against her back and prevented her from moving at all.

She cried out again, tried to push him off her, tried to push away from the wall and escape his grip. 

“Don’t fucking move”, he growled cruelly in her ear, punctuating each word as his metal hand slid around the front of her body to push her tank top up over her breasts. The wall, and his fingers, were cold against her nipples and River’s touch wasn’t gentle. He moved his hand down her ribs and pulled her shorts and panties down in one movement. 

No teasing, no gentle caressing. There was no love in his voice and the coldness of it hit V like a ton of bricks. She whimpered and begged him to let her go, her cheek still pushed against the wall, eyes wide as she tried to look at him. Even his eyes were cold. 

“River, stop! Please!” V sobbed as she struggled to free herself from his grip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This is just a teaser, the next chapter is going to be a wild ride, sorry... Chapter 3 goes up tomorrow. 
> 
> Fun fact, Lana's character (from "These Boots Are Made for Walking" gig) is based on game journalist/writer at Santa Monica Studios Sony, Alanah Pearce. I love detail like that, and I love Alanah/Lana so much, I figured she deserved a bigger role. 
> 
> I worked in a Skyrim reference in Delamain's conversation. Lmao.


	3. Hungry, Primal. Dangerous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> V was replacing the window panes in the lounge, unaware of River watching her. And then things took a turn for the worse, so to speak...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so okaaaayyyyyy. This is Part 2, please also read the previous chapter's notes if you missed it, the same warnings apply.  
>  **AND CHECK THE TAGS BEFORE READING.**  
>  It's about to get real up in here. 
> 
> Just so you know, my first draft of this was a lot harsher, and I went back to add more of what River was thinking, to explain his headspace. I kinda wrote myself out of my own comfort zone but I think (hope) it paid off lol.

“River, stop! Please!”

V sobbed as she struggled to free herself from his grip. She seemed so frightened and tears were streaming down her cheek, River almost stopped but caught himself just in time, though. He held her in place as she continued to struggle against him in vain. 

River reassured himself that V hadn’t used her safe word yet, so phrases like ‘no, don’t,’ and ‘please, stop’ meant nothing. The struggling and fighting meant nothing. "You can't, please don't!" she sobbed again. 

He waited a few seconds, however, just in case she changed her mind. She didn't, and in the absence of her safe word, he tightened his grip on her hips again and pushed her face into the wall. "I can, and I will," he said, much calmer than she expected. Cruel and cold, like his eyes. 

Even though he didn’t mind indulging V, he wasn’t used to this. River had never been with anyone who would be up for being...  _ manhandled  _ like this. She pulled him back to reality when she scratched at his arms, trying desperately to free herself. “I said,” River paused for effect before continuing slowly, deliberately.  _ “Don’t. fucking. move. you. slut _ ”.

Feeling her muscles strain against him as she fought his onslaught made River as hard as a fucking rock. V helpless against his advances was a turn-on, but when she fought back, even when she couldn't,  _ especially _ when she couldn't, was the absolute fucken cherry on the cake. 

“Let me go!” River didn’t, but to be fair, if V didn’t want any of this, she would have activated her augments and he would be on the floor with a broken nose, dislocated jaw and a few broken bones for good measure. Nobody gets to do anything to V unless she allows it to happen. Not anymore, anyway. And not even him. Not after what she had to survive to get here. 

V squirmed when she heard River breathing hard while unbuckling his pants, the metal of his fingers clicking against the buckle, the sound of his zipper. She frantically tried to move her hips away, tried to turn around, tried to keep her thighs and legs clamped together but River used his knee to push her legs apart without any effort. 

There was no foreplay, no teasing, no warning, no mercy, just a guttural groan that tore from her chest when he shoved his cock into her. Fuck, she was so wet. “Don't fight it”, he growled when she cried out, secretly hoping that she would fight. She did, but without her augments, he could so very easily overpower her. 

"It will hurt less if you keep still", another hard thrust that forced a moan from her lungs and his voice dropped an octave. "But it’s more fun if you don't", he growled in her ear. 

She was trying to reach for him, claw at him, and River had let go of her hips momentarily in order to grab both her arms and in their struggle, they knocked over the makeshift workbench. It distracted River. 

V saw a gap and very briefly managed to push herself away from the wall, fighting as hard as she could, much to River's amusement. She was still surprisingly strong, even without her chrome. 

He managed to lace his fingers through her long hair, grabbing the strands in a vice grip and forcing her against the wall again. River pulled her hair to arch her neck as he bit into her flesh and thrust into her again, grunting against her skin, drawing another moan from V's lips. Another forceful thrust to make her make that sound again. 

That had to hurt. He considered being gentler but the slight nudge of her hips  _ pushing _ into him was a warning that he shouldn't. So he obeyed and plunged even deeper, harder.

Letting go of her hair, River pushed his forearm against the wall as leverage to hold her wrists above her head. It was easier to control her with his metal hand from this angle. "Do keep fighting me, see how far you get," he calmy rasped against her ear once he had her dominated again. 

Still pinning her wrists above her head with his metal digits, River's ‘ganic hand returned to her hips and his fingers sunk into her flesh again, holding her in place as he adjusted the angle. Now, V had absolutely nowhere to go. River’s knuckles were white as he held her hip, driving into her as hard as he dared. She's going to have bruises later, either way. 

V strained against him again, but she might as well have been trashing against a wall of stone. River easily overpowered her struggling body and pressed even harder against her, his grip on her skin punishing as his hips pressed into her and trapped her with the full force of his muscular form.

V's legs gave out from under her but there was nowhere to go, she was impaled on him, between the roughness of River and the roughness of the wall. Her cheek hurt where it scraped against the cracked plaster and a feeble "ss-stop, please", escaped her lips, barely audible. 

Some of the fight had left her muscles by now, making it easier for him to take his pleasure. He could feel her tense around him but she cried out in a way that didn’t really sound like acting to River. It sounded real,  _ too real _ . 

Worried that he might have pushed her too far, he slowed down. “Don’t,” she gasped, trying to catch her breath, “don’t you fucking stop”. 

_ Right. Okay then _ . River began picking up speed again as he leaned into V, thrusting into her relentlessly, without mercy. Ramming his body against her thighs. He had never taken her like this and V’s mind went blank, losing herself and coming apart seconds late. River could feel her tremble against him as her orgasm rippled through her body. 

River gave her a chance to recover and continued with hard strokes, slower this time, chasing his own release. A final thrust and he became undone himself with a strangled moan against her skin, biting into her shoulder and mingling her pleasure with pain as he rode through his climax

He then ever so gently kissed her shoulder. “V,  _ fuck… _ ” 

River collapsed against her body, his chest pressing against her back while they regained their breath. He had one hand around her waist to keep her upright, another against the wall to steady himself. River placed more gentle kisses along her shoulder and neck, before pulling her around to face him. 

V slumped against him, still drawing ragged breaths as she tried to collect herself. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his chest. River held her up, held her close, his fingers gently caressing her back. After a while, he tilted her chin for a slow, deep kiss, not a hint of cruelness now in his touch. “You okay, babe?”

She just nodded, but River was still concerned. He pushed her really hard this time, much harder than they’d ever gone in the past. River inspected her neck and shoulder, noting the bite marks that are going to leave a bruise. Her hips were bruised as well, the skin there already changing colour. 

V’s had tear streaks on her cheeks but she didn’t overdo it. Pain is fine, forced play is fine, but hardcore crying kink isn’t really his thing. He’d feel too bad. “Come, we need to get you cleaned up”. River gripped her ass and lifted her up into his arms and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bathroom. 

Despite all the work still left to do around the house, the plumbing was already taken care of and the bathroom renovations were almost done, other than a few tiles he still had to replace above the basin. River got the shower going and placed V on the edge of the tub while waiting for the water to heat up. He inspected the bite mark on her shoulder again. 

He touched her so gently, as if afraid that she would fall apart. “Valerie, are you sure you’re okay? This looks really sore?”. He rubbed over the bite mark on her shoulder. Her cheek was also scuffed lightly from having her face pushed against the rough concrete wall. River brushed his thumb over her cheek with a pang of guilt.  _ Fuck _ . 

V, however, was fully in control of her senses again and giggled at his featherlight-touch. It was ticklish. Her composure put him at ease, especially when she pushed her cheek affectionately into his palm. “You gonk." She laughed." I don’t break that easily. ‘Sides, I trust you with my life”. 

"Yeah, that's what worries me". 

"I've never been better, honestly". She laced her fingers through his, and fuck… The way she looked at him… River wondered what he did in this life to find someone who could make his heart melt with a single stare, and make it stop with a single touch. 

Someone who he loved so completely. Strange though after he just took so much pleasure in hurting her too, River thought dryly. He ushered her into the shower before the intensity of the moment became too much. 

They didn’t have soap here yet, but River put his hands to good use, massaging V’s thoroughly abused muscles, allowing the warm water to rinse the stickiness and tears and dirt and sweat away. He worked ever so gently around her bruises, careful not to inflict any more pain. 

After drying her off first, then himself (thank fuck for the hand towel he brought earlier) he collected their discarded clothes and watched V as she got dressed, still uncertain about her condition, still conflicted. 

She appeared to have activated her augments again and was moving around with ease. As if she wasn’t just forcibly held down and claimed by him. As if she wasn't just fucked out of her mind and all the way into next week. 

V caught him staring at her and stuck out her tongue. He couldn’t help but laugh, she was adorable. "Listen, Riv. We've talked about this, I've told you what I like and what are off-limits. If next time, you want to push it up another notch even, that’d be fine with me, too." She winked. "Trust me, I could have stopped you any point if I wanted". 

He knew that. Muscle against muscle, she was no match against him, but chrome against chrome was a completely different matter. He wouldn't stand a chance. And it was strange because River was right there with her in the same headspace. They were just two freaky fucks in the same fucked up pod, but it messed with his head when his urge to protect her crept into this darker corner of their relationship. 

They were dry, dressed and busy cleaning up the mess they made just as Judy returned with the supplies. And food, thank fuck. Pounding your output out of her mind is hard work, and they both had worked up quite the appetite. 

“Right, so what did I miss, how far did you get?” Judy was referring to re-panelling the window frames, the work V had been doing before she left, but there was suddenly a heavy silence in the room as V and River exchanged glances. 

Not in embarrassment, no. They didn’t do embarrassment. More like sharing a secret only they knew. Judy only had to give V one glance to assess the situation, shaking her head as she looked from V to River and back to V again. “You guys are fucking dorks, you know that?” 

River winked at V as he passed her a Burrito XXL Rosado and a can of NiCola Sakura before grabbing the same for himself and turning to Judy with all the innocence he could scrape together, casually leaning against the kitchen counter. 

“Not quite sure I know what you’re talking about, J”. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it. Please excuse me, I'll be in the shower.


	4. Feels Like Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> River and V completed most of the renovations at their new home (with the help of their friends) and plan on enjoying a lazy morning in before they are so rudely interrupted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's plenty of smut and feelings here. 
> 
> I've been battling a severe case of writer's block this week so consider this as a smut-filler while I figure out where this is going. Also, I've had Hozier's "Take Me To Church" stuck in my head on repeat, sorry-not-sorry for working the lyrics into this here chapter.

V slowly emerged from her slumber to the white-gold light of a new day streaming into the bedroom and the smell of freshly brewed coffee lingering in the air. The only thing she loved more than waking up to sounds of River being, well River – making coffee, singing in the shower, typing at his desk – was waking up next to him, but his space was empty. 

She was taking up most of the bed, sprawled out on her stomach, and sighed contentedly as the fog of her dreams lifted and she realized where she was and what day it was. They had been living in their new home for about a week, and she was still amazed at the amount of work they managed to do in such a short amount of time. 

But then again, their family and friends chipped in, in one way or another. There was always someone around, and V would never admit it, but she had loved having everyone here, coming and going and working and just _existing_ together. Who knew the lone nomad who vowed to never let anyone close again now had such a huge network of people she not only trusted with her life, but _loved_. Loved so much it hurts. 

Judy had helped V with most of the indoor repairs. They scrubbed every surface, replaced tiles, painted walls, installed new cabinets and shelves. It was also the most they had seen of each other in weeks and it felt nice catching up. Judy even painted a mural in V’s office, similar to the one in her own apartment, knowing how much V loved the purple octopus. 

On weekends, Misty and Vic would hang around as well. Misty always showed up with enough food to feed a small army, either takeout for everyone or a home-cooked feast compliments of Mama Welles. Vic was happy to help with whatever River was doing, fixing or tampering with. The two seemed to be getting along just fine. 

River and Randy had cleared the backyard of all the debris and rusted cars. They tore down the twisted fence and installed a state of the art barrier which Randy programmed and V fine-tuned. The two turrets on the roof were replaced as well. River was still toying with the idea of installing a swimming pool. Lord knows they had the space.

Joss had finally resigned from her shitty job and was keeping all the ad hoc tasks of RiVal Investigations running smoothly while River was otherwise occupied with renovations. She also made considerable leeway on tracking down the paperwork for most of the abandoned houses in Rocky Ridge. At this rate, they would be able to rebuild the town in no time. 

Unfortunately, Joss also sided with River about his agency’s name. V made the mistake of pointing out that the word Rival had the first three letters of both their names. It was a joke and a bad one at that, but it turned out River liked it. V was the only one who thought it a tad bit too cheesy but her own family outvoted her and this was one disagreement she soon realized she wouldn’t win.

Panam was an absolute blessing too. She not only helped V set up a new armory but also towed away all the scrap metal and junk that John had collected over the years. When all the child hazards were finally cleared out, Dorian and Monique were here nearly every day as well, content to trail behind Panam and help with whatever she deemed safe enough for them. 

They grew quite fond of her, and Panam turned out to be surprisingly good with kids. Who knew! In an interesting turn of events, Joss and Panam struck up an unlikely friendship as well. 

V nearly fell off the roof where she was cleaning the gutters one day when she overheard Joss telling a nagging Dorian that it's _fine_ , he could go with Panam when she took the next load of scrap away. That was quite something, considering Joss' history with the Aldecaldos and how Dorian’s dad died. 

Kerry was on tour until recently so the fucker managed to evade most of the hard work, but he did, however, offer to throw them a house-warming party. “Proper Rockstar-style”, he promised and V shuddered to think what that would entail but she'll let him have this. ‘Sides, one less thing for her to worry about. And that brought her back to the present. 

V still had a few things to arrange before tonight and had to show her face at Afterlife too. That pesky reputation to uphold and all that. She had a new job for Lana, anyway. The fresh young merc was already making a name for herself with an above-average success rate for someone who’d only just joined the game. 

But all that could wait. For now, V was happily going to snuggle in bed just a little while longer. She could hear River hum in the kitchen, hear the clatter of coffee mugs and the fridge door opening and closing. She smiled and stretched out lazily on the crisp, white sheets, hugging the pillow tighter to her cheek and relishing at the feel of sunlight on her back. 

Her thoughts drifted back to River waking her up just before 3AM. Fervent whispers in the dead of night about how badly he needed her. How his fingers gripped her and dug into her when he pulled her closer, how he held her and kissed her as if it was all he needed in this life. 

V let out a sigh which bordered on a giggle seconds before feeling the mattress shift and indent as River crawled up the bed to hover over her. He brushed her hair aside to place a kiss between her shoulder blades. 

“Mornin’, gorgeous,” another kiss at the back of her neck, "what are you giggling about?” he asked with his lips against her skin before nibbling at the soft fold of her neck. 

“Hey, lover. Was just thinking about your hips”, she said with another giggle. The man really knew how to use his damn hips, _fuck…_ River laughed out loud, somewhat confused, somewhat amused. 

“My hips? That’s a first! What, pray tell, about my hips makes you _this_ giddy?”

“They way your hips roll when you’re in me… "

"I see…" He placed featherlight kisses down her spine. V had the most beautiful back River had ever seen. The curve of her spine, especially, and the slant of her hips. A fucking work of art. If he was an artist, V's form would be the only thing he'd ever paint. 

"And the way it feels having your hips between my thighs", she purred, responding to his touch as his 'ganic slid over her body, over her ribs, and down her sides before grabbing one ass cheek. 

"The way your muscles roll and tense against me with every thrust. Kinda feels like… Like home, y'know?" 

_Feels like home,_ he agreed silently, trying hard to swallow down the lump forming in his throat. He had the sudden urge to tell her just how much he loved her for saying that, but he was struggling to find the right words, and V was already describing more of the effects he had on her body, and well, a man can only stay focused for so long. 

Instead, he moved his way down her body, gently biting her ass cheek before pulling at her hips slightly, just enough to raise her so he could devour her. He figured using his tongue instead of his words to show how much he loves her would be the better option in this particular instance…

V didn’t disagree, if her moans were anything to go by. “Fuck, River… what are you doing to me”, she had tossed the pillow aside and her face was flat against the bed, fists gripping into the sheet as he trailed his tongue along her slit, teasing her. 

“Worshipping you”. V’s was a rhetorical question, but he answered anyway before circling her clit with his tongue and drawing her tender nub between his teeth ever so carefully. His tongue slid between V’s lips, just enough to cause V to buck her hips hard and he gripped her tighter to keep her in place. 

River wasn’t a religious man but If V was a religion, he’d happily worship and sacrifice at her shrine. Drag him to church any day, he’d confess all his sins. 

His tongue nudged her entrance again, slipped inside and toyed against her walls before he replaced his tongue with two fingers, plunging into her as his warm mouth returned to her clit, this time flicking it over for a few seconds before sucking hard and humming gently. The vibrations drove V wild. 

Her breathing was getting erratic and River could sense that she was close. His free arm held her in place as his tongue kept her gasping and moaning. 

“ _Fuck_!” Real close. “River, wait…” He responded with a “hmm?” without lifting his lips from her, which just made her buck harder. “St.. stop, I want to come with you in me”, she managed through ragged breaths. River pulled away from V long enough to step out of his pyjama pants before settling over her again. 

She was still face-down and it was the most beautiful view in the world. “Don’t turn around”, he ordered huskily while hovering over her. River placed kisses along her shoulder while stroking himself. V instinctively raised her hips and tried to spread her legs for him, but he had one knee on either side of her and pressed her thighs tightly together. 

He leaned back and gripped her hips, raising her ever so slightly while the tip of his cock rested at her entrance. Holding her in place, he teased her by rubbing his head along her slit. “River fucking Ward, I fucking swear if you don’t fuck me now!”

“As you wish”, he laughed and thrust into her, burying deep before losing himself in the sensation of V. Setting a rhythm, hard and fast, his metal digits sank deep into her flesh as he held her in place, while his ‘ganic hand settled on her shoulder, pushing her deeper into the mattress. 

V gripped the sheets with one hand while she reached back with the other and settled it over River’s metal digits as he held her hip. The tension of her muscles caused the cutest of dimples to form right under her shoulder blades. _Fuck, best view in. the. world._ V came first, moaning and cursing as her muscles tensed and the orgasm ripped through her. 

He slowed down while V was riding out the last of the tremors and gave her just a few seconds to catch her breath before pulling out and leaning back far enough to flip her over onto her back. 

“Hi,” River grinned as he settled between her thighs and lowered his body down on her, just enough pressure so she could feel him, all of him, above her. He took a moment to take in her disheveled appearance, the beautiful mess he created. 

“Hey,” she whispered back sweetly while caressing his face, feeling the stubble under her palm before running her thumb over River’s lower lip. He didn’t break eye contact. Using one elbow to prop himself up, River slid his other hand over V’s ribs, under her body and up her back to her shoulder, holding her in the embrace while sliding his hard cock into her. 

“Feels like home, huh?” he whispered and his eyes searched hers. River set a slow, intense pace, all muscle and rolling hips, just like she wanted. V wrapped her one leg around his torso while the other entwined with his leg. Her hands roamed over his body, gripping his ass as if to pull him even closer. 

“Fuck, _yes_.” She began to move her hips against him, in rhythm, drawing a loud moan from River. There was something about having River above her like this that made V’s heart melt. “Know what else feels like home?” She whispered in his ear, “Hearing you say my name when you come in me”. 

Really, there was only so much a man could take and this was River’s limit. He increased his pace and bucked hard between V’s thighs, lacing his fingers through her hair in a loose grip to pull her head back, to hold her gaze as he spent himself in her with a loud groan. “ God Valerie, fuck!”

She held him close as his release rippled through his body. She could _feel_ it, feel his muscles tense and relax. He nuzzled into her neck, still drawing ragged breaths. 

“ _Fuck…_ I love you so fucking much, V”, barely a whisper. 

She didn’t have any intentions of letting him go just yet. V looked past River and up through the skylight at the bright blue desert sky above them. It was his idea to install a skylight. V still had trouble sleeping but she could now look at the stars from the comfort of their bed. It calmed her, centered her. River was thoughtful like that. 

  
  


“Love you too, Riv. So damn much”. 

They were still cuddling when something large and loud moved over the house, completely covering the skylight and casting the room in a dark shadow. It looked suspiciously like an AV to V, but it wasn’t even 10 AM yet and Delamain wasn’t scheduled to arrive until noon. They were both out of bed and at the window in a matter of seconds, guns drawn, peeking out just in time to see the AV land. 

“What the fuck?” they said almost in unison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently I'm a masochist who enjoys writing myself into corners. The smut was supposed to be a filler while I figure out how to write the house-warming party, now I've got this intruder to deal with first. Why am I like this? Lmao.


	5. Rockerboys and Flying Carpets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mystery intruder revealed, and Delamain likes Aladdin, apparently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mid-week update, woot woot! I had a surge of inspiration so here we are a few days ahead of schedule with a short update. Got the party coming up next and I'm thinking I should try my hand at some action writing...

They both hid behind the curtains, peeking through the window, trigger fingers at the ready as the AV door opened slowly and out steps… 

“Kerry?!” River and V lowered their weapons and looked at each other quizzically. Outside they saw Kerry jumping down on the launch pad, wearing a gaudy golden nightgown and a pair of pink fluffy slippers, clapping his hands impatiently while talking to someone inside the AV. They could faintly hear him telling someone to “move, move, move, I don’t have all day!” 

V and River dressed as fast as they could – River in his jeans and a clean tank top and V in a pair of shorts and River’s shirt – because knowing Kerry, he’d barge in here without a thought or care. Too many of their friends had caught them in the act before or at the very least seen them naked. They didn’t need to add Kerry to that list. 

“Kerry? The fuck, man?” V was still holding Crash by her side when she opened the door just as Kerry walked up the pathway. 

“What, you’re going to shoot me now? Good to see you too, bitch. Hope I’m not interrupting anything”, Kerry said as he looked her over, taking in her disheveled hair, the bite marks on her neck, and River’s shirt. 

“Well, what the fuck exactly do you expect showing up _unannounced_ at a crime-fighting couple’s place at this ungodly hour, a _recently-engaged couple,_ mind you, and in a motherfucking AV no less, you dick”? V said as Kerry barged past her. 

“You gonks have been together over a year, get bored with each already for fuck’s sake, like normal people do.” He placed a quick kiss on her cheek in passing. “You smell like sex”, Kerry said with all sincerity he could muster right before shouting to his assistants to follow him and to make it snappy because “time is money,” apparently. 

River and V exchanged glances, his eyebrow raised “V! Need you over here. River, help these useless bastards to offload the cargo”, Kerry shouted from the living room. V just shrugged and shook her head while pinching the bridge of her nose. 

“Best do as he says, I don’t have the energy right now to deal with a fucking geezer of a rockstar throwing a fucking diva tantrum”. 

“As long as you deal with Kerry, I’m happy to do practically anything else”, River said with a shit-eating grin while making his way out the door to see what the fuss was all about outside. 

_Oh, fuck no_. V waited until River was out of earshot before she called Delamain. “Del,” she whispered, “gonna need to come by earlier today if you can”. Her favorite AI assured her it was indeed possible, he had an AV nearby and will be there in 15 minutes. That suited V just fine. 

She found Kerry in the living room, ordering one of his assistants around while another was laying out party platters on a table. “Nice place, V, little drab”. 

“Oh fuck you,” she snapped before adding in a softer tone, “Thanks. So, are you going to fill me in about the fuck is happening here?”

“Told you, V. It’s gonna be the party of the century, where are we going to set up the booze?” he shot in V’s direction before turning his attention to Skittish Assistant Number 1. “You! No not like that, like this, might as well do it my fucking self”. V saw her gap. 

“Ker, I’m leaving all the executive decisions up to you and River, go wild. Be right back, need to put more clothes on”. She took a super-quick shower, pulled on her signature pair of leather pants, her favourite tank top and her Samurai jacket before lacing up her boots and tousling a hand through her messy hair. It’ll have to do. 

V ran a quick diagnostic to check if her cyberdeck was in preem condition before tucking Crash into her concealed shoulder holster and a Tanto blade into a custom holster on her belt. She didn’t need anything else. 

V decided to leave her RT-46 Burya at home. She had anyway modded Crash into a more deathly version than River could ever have dreamed possible. Between that, her mantis blades and quick hacks, V was practically a fucking ninja. She had taken out entire Militech troops with less.

She returned to the living room just in time to see Kerry and River – who had been arguing about something – look out the window as Del landed. “Sorry boys, gotta bounce, duty calls”. V tried to make a quick escape by pecking River on his cheek but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. 

  
“V? The fuck? Please don’t leave me alone with Kerry”, he whispered through gritted teeth. _Shame, he sounds so desperate._

“Riv, you’ll be _fine_. Kerry’s harmless”. Kerry is perhaps the one friend of V’s with who River is not that well acquainted, and she has to admit, the man can be too much even if you know him well. 

“Why don’t you ask Panam to come over? You get along swell with her and she can balance the vibe”, V was already out the door and throwing kisses at River. “So sorry, babe, merc crisis! Love you!” She should have warned him about Kerry’s nightgown, V thought, mind drifting back to how… liberal he was about it the first time she met him. Too late now. 

* * *

V only let out the breath she was holding once the doors of Del’s AV closed behind her. Of course, there was no real "merc crisis" but Kerry was a crisis in his own right and more demanding than any ganger she’s ever had to deal with, so it wasn’t a complete lie. And ‘sides, it’s River’s own fault for not planning his escape. She’ll make it up to him later. 

“Sup, Del. Thanks for coming through earlier”. 

“Good day, V. Who are you running from this time?”

“Observant fucker, you. Kerry Eurodyne”. 

“Ah, yes, I’m familiar, Mr Eurodyne is one of our frequent flyers. And I say this in confidence, V, but my sympathies.”

“I bet he’s the worst client. He is, isn’t he?” Wouldn’t surprise her.

“I can neither confirm nor deny that”. Del's digital avatar winked. “Where are we flying to today, V?”

“Afterlife, Kabuki, please Del, but stop by Megabuilding H10 in Watson first”. 

“Your wish is my command.”

V laughed. “Another humor upgrade?”

“Not really. It’s from classic literature. A centuries-old stories-within-a-story about a boy called Aladdin who finds a magic lamp with a djinn inside who grants wishes. His signature line is ‘your wish is my command’”. 

“You read, Del? Never really thought about that before”. 

“I like going through the archives, and Aladdin is my favourite. He has a sentient flying carpet too on which he transports his friends. Like me”. 

“You will always be my favoritest favorite flying carpet, Del”. V laughed. She liked the stubborn AI more and more every day. 

“Hey Del, we’ll see you tonight, right?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, V.” 

She plugged into Del’s system to give him access to their home security network while thinking to herself that he’s probably the only AI in existence who would ever get invited to something as human as a party. In fact, Del was probably more human to her than some humans she knew, so there’s that. 

V had barely unplugged from the port when River called. _Shit. Fuck_. “Del, I know I’m pushing it but you could pretend to be a client or something?” 

She didn’t wait for his confirmation before answering, figuring she’ll just make it up as she goes. “Hey Riv, not a good time right now, babe”. 

“You're still in the Delamain?”

“Yeah, _we’re_ on our way to Afterlife”, and V pretended to apologize to someone else for the interruption. 

“S’all good V, take your time”, Del said in a voice that wasn’t his own. 

“Shit, sorry”, it must’ve worked. “Just checking ‘cause I got a notification that another user was added to our network?”

“Yeah, gave Del access for tonight. That still fine, right?”

“Oh, I see, yeah, cool. I’ll let ya get back to it then. We’re not done talking about Kerry, though”, he added before pouting her a kiss and ending the call.

Technically, _again_ , none of this was a lie... She was on her way to Afterlife. She had clients to meet. But still. Shame. She'll have to reward River good and proper later for dealing with Kerry. 

“V, you’re incorrigible”, Del said, his voice back to normal again. 

“Right? I don’t even try.” She pretend-sighed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it; comments always appreciated <3


End file.
